GB2276142A

GB2276142A - Bag and tube combination

Info

Publication number: GB2276142A
Application number: GB9305558A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Leslie Steer; Graham Emery Steer
Original assignee: ER Squibb and Sons LLC
Current assignee: ER Squibb and Sons LLC
Priority date: 1993-03-18
Filing date: 1993-03-18
Publication date: 1994-09-21
Also published as: GB2276143A; GB2276143B; GB9305558D0; GB9402876D0

Abstract

A combination of a liquid-containing bag 26 e.g. a urine drainage bag, and a tube 28 is made up of a pair of superposed sheets, joined by a weld 24a - 24d whose configuration is chosen to define in a single welding operation the outline of the bag and the tube. Means are provided for precluding face-to-face contact of selected parts of the inner surfaces of said sheet e.g. by providing crinkles and irregularities in one of the sheets by biaxial orientation thereof followed by application of radiant heat. <IMAGE>

Description

BAG FOR CONTAINING LIQUID This invention relates to a bag, for supplying or receiving a liquid to or from a person. In particular, the invention relates to leg bags, urine drainage bags, and fluid delivery bags for blood supply or parenteral feeding bags, but may aiso relate to bags or pouches for other purposes, e.g. solution bags for I.V. sets.

Liquid containing bags are normally made from two sheets of plastics film-like material welded together around their periphery. Efforts have been made, see for example U.K. Patents nows. 2,203,i25; 2,197,849 and 2,206,169 to attach tubes to bags in a satisfactory way. There remains, however, a need for an easily-manufactured bag in which the possibility of leakage is reduced virtually to zero.

According to the present invention, there is provided a bad and tube combination comprising a pair of superposed sheets, joined by a weld whose configuration is chosen to define in a single welding operation the outline of the bag and the tube integral therewith, in which means are provided for precluding face-to-face contact of selected parts of the inner surfaces of said sheets.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a bag made from two superposed plastics sheets, the sheets being welded together in such a way as to define by a singie weld seam a bag volume and a tube which is in communication with the bag volume, one of said sheets being of a biaxially oriented plastics material and the other being conventional 'relaxed' plastics sheet.

In this specification, the term 'relaxed' as applied to a plastics sheet means relieved of internal stress induced by mechanical or other means, i.e. in its normal state as manufactured.

In a preferred version of the invention, the tube is defined by two end portions of the said weld, said portions being generally parallel, the configuration being such that the tube partially surrounds the bag volume.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, one of the two sheets welded together is biaxially oriented polymer made by a known static process [e.g. mechanicai stretching3 and the other sheet is a normal relaxed plastics film. In manufacture, the two sheets are welded together to form the product profile and then passed under a radiating heat source, e.g. an infra red radiation source, thus shrinking the biaxially oriented sheet and creating crinkles and irregularities therein.

As a consequence of these crinkles and irregularities in one of the plastics sheets, the tendency for the two plastics strips defining the tube to stick together is greatly reduced.

Hence it is possible for urine or other liquid to pass easily through the tube, and it is easier for the bag volume to expand and fill because the crinkles and irregularities ensure that the two sheets are not in face-to-face contact all over the bag area.

Eyelets produced by plastics RF or heat welding are preferably included, within the weld seam portion which defines the bag volume.

The invention will be better understood from the following non-limiting description of an example thereof given with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional views on the lines II-II of Figure 1; and Figure 3 illustrates an alternative shape for an integral bag and tube which may be used for the rapid manufacture of liquid-containing bags according to the invention.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular configuration of bag and tube but embodies the concept of providing an integral bag and tube combination by plastics welding of two superposed sheets, there being also means provided for ensuring that the superposed sheets do not become or remain stuck together in face-to-face manner but instead are kept somewhat separated in areas thereof so as to permit passage of liquid between the sheets. One means for ensuring avoidance of face-to-face sticking is to biaxially orient one sheet, having the other sheet in normal relaxed condition, and then heat the superposed sheets so as to engender crinkling or irregularities which prevent face-to-face contact of opposed walls within the tube or within the bag. Another means for avoiding such face-toface contact is to include between the sheets in the non-welded areas a form of non-continuous spacing structure. One example of a suitable material to achieve this is a plastics mesh located between the sheets. One could instead include a microperforated film between the non-welded areas of the sheets.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, a preferred embodiment of liquid drainage bag is formed by welding together two superposed sheets 20, 22 by a weld 24. The weld 24 is of complex shape and has a first portion 24a which largely encircles a bag volume 26, a second portion 24b which defines the external outline of a tube 28, a third portion 24c which forms a rounded end of the tube 28, and a fourth portion 24d which forms the internal outline of the tube 28 and which runs alongside and adjacent to the weld portion 24a, these portions 24d and 24a having between them a line of perforations 30. At one end of the radially inner weld portion 24a there is a loop weld 24f, the line of perforations 30 terminating a short distance, e.g. E inch or about 12 mm., short of the loop 24f. The weld 24 joins the superposed sheets. In use, the tube 28 is torn away from the bag volume 26 by grasping the end 24c and pulling it away from the bag volume, so starting and then continuing a tear along the line of perforations 30. To strengthen the plastics material in the area where the tear starts, an extra loop of weld 24e is provided. For strengthening purposes, the extra loop weld 24f is provided in the region which will be the end of the tear, that is, the region where the tube 26 is connected to the bag volume. If desired, though this is not essentiai to the invention, a spigot 33, Figure 1, may be attached to one of the superposed sheets to provide an entry to the tube 26 and an outiet spigot 34 (Figs. i and 2) may be attached to said sheet at a suitable location on the bag, to provide for exit of collected liquid. An advantage of this version of the invention is that by placing the flat surfaces (e.g. 36) of the spigots upwards in suitable recesses in a weld tool, then overlaying the first sheet so as to weld the flanges of the inlet and outlet spigots thereto and then overlaying the second sheet and preforming the outline welds to form the peripheral bag weld in one flat weld process. One may use plastics heat welding, RF welding or impulse heat welding with the latter being currently preferred. As seen at 38 (Fig.

i), four conventional "3 ring" welds may be provided in the same operation, the centres being punched out, so that the bag can be hung up on suitable hooks for e.g. urine night drainage use.

As seen in Figure 2, according to one embodiment of the invention, a micro-perforated plastics film 44 may be heat-welded into the bag defined by the two sheets 20 and 22. This may serve to assist in separating iayers 22 and 20, and is optionai. The film 44 may be heat welded in the same operation that produces welds 24a to 24f.

Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating a possible shape and arrangement of combinations of bag and tube so that a pluraiity of such combinations can be made from a pair of superposed plastics sheets 50 and 52. These wouid, in use, be fed intermittently through a welding station, not shown. In their embodiment, the bag volumes 54 are substantially rectanguiar and the tubes 56 extend linearly from a region of the bag volume which will be the top in use. Locations of outlet spigots are indicated at 58. An alternative arrangement is shown at 64 in the lower part of Figure 3, the bag volume being 66 and the tube 68. Other arrangements are possible and will occur to a man skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A bag and tube combination comprising a pair of superposed sheets, joined by a weld whose configuration is chosen to define in a single welding operation the outline of the bag and the tube integral therewith, in which means are provided for precluding face-to-face contact of selected parts of the inner surfaces of said sheets.

2. A combination according to claim 1 in which the means precluding the face-to-face contact comprises crinkles and irregularities provided in one of the sheets by biaxial orientation thereof followed by application of radiant heat.

3. A combination according to claim 1 in which the means precluding face-to-face contact comprises a foraminated or perforated layer or a sheet-like article serving as a spacer located between selected areas of the sheets.

4. A combination according to claim 1 in which the means precluding face-to-face contact comprises a microperforated film interposed between the sheets.

5. A combination according to any one of claims 1-4 in which a single weld seam is employed to define the bag volume and the tube and portions of said seam run adjacent to one another and side by side, having between them a row of perforations.

6. A combination according to any preceding claim in which a spigot is provided in the region of the distal end of the tube.

7. A combination according to any preceding claim in which a spigot is provided on the bag.

8. A combination according to any preceding claim in which a strengthened loop weld is provided adjacent to the zone where the tube connects with the bag.

9. A combination according to any preceding claim in which a strengthened loop weld is provided adjacent to the zone where the distal end of the tube is, in use1 torn away from the bag volume.

10. A combination according to any preceding claim which further comprises holes puncned out and surrounded by welds, whereby the bag and tube combination can be suspended on hooks or supports as desired.

li. A method of making a bag and tube combination comprising the steps of: (a) providing a pair of plastics sheets, one being biaxially oriented; (b) placing the sheets in superposed relationship in a welding machine; and (c) effecting a welding operation in said machine using a tool which provides an endless weld which defines a bag volume and a tube which connects with said bag volume, and, before or after or simultaneously with step (c), (d) applying radiant heat to the sheets to cause crinkiing or irregularity of one of the sheets whereby liquid passage along the tube and into or out of the bag is faciiitated.

i2. A method according to claim il in which the plastics sheets of substantially equal width of the pair that are pulled off storage rolls by respective traction mechanisms, are brought into superposed reiationship and are welded by a muiti-headed welding and punching tool designed to provide a plurality of bag and tube combinations across the width of the sheets,

13. A method according to claim ii or i2 in which the welding and punching tool is arranged to provide a line of perforations located between adjacent portions of the endless weld.

14. A bag and tube combination substantiaily as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

15. Any novel combination or sub-combination of features disclosed anåjor illustrated herein.